I didn't sleep a wink
by ncislove
Summary: Gibbs isn't sleeping in his bed and Abby wants to know why.
1. Chapter 1

As if I didn't have enough _other_ fic to work on… I've got three or four longer ones (already past 20-30k) that I just can't seem to wrap up, so I started this little piece. Real life has been a bit of a royal bitch lately, so I needed something a bit on the fluffy side before I pick up the evil hat again.

Only one more chapter. Maybe two if I split it - I'll have to take a look.

After being accused of copying (which I didn't), let me just say that any coincidences between this and any other fic are purely by accident.

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><p>She had always known he didn't sleep well. It wasn't uncommon to see Gibbs stretching, pulling this way and that when he thought no one was looking, but it wasn't until she overheard Anthony Sr. telling Tony that Gibbs always bunked on the sofa that she understood why.<p>

Every time she had ever stayed the night, Gibbs had always pushed her to his bed, playing gentleman, saying he would sleep on the couch. Not that she would have _ever_ minded sharing, but she had figured he was being polite.

She couldn't leave her findings based solely off of Seniors statement, so late one Thursday she circled the neighborhood every hour or so until the basement light went out. She gave it another hour and then pulled to a stop across the street from Gibbs' house and headed up the front step. She needed to be careful, she wasn't thrilled at the idea of Gibbs pulling a gun on her, but she was certain she could calm him down before he pulled the trigger. Well, fairly certain.

The door was unlocked like usual, and she knew to skip the first, third and fourth floorboard and then step a little to the right before she could turn toward the living room. Gibbs was always sneaking up on her in the lab, so she had made it into a little game for herself to try and sneak up on him in the basement. She was roughly 11% successful.

Abby was thankful for the street lamp right outside, giving her a clear view of Gibbs' livingroom. Her heart broke when she found him. He was on the couch, a few thin cotton blankets over him, his feet sticking out the end. He shifted and groaned and she could see how his back was giving him trouble even in his sleep.

She was torn between waking him and telling him to go to bed – which, telling Gibbs to do anything for himself was as useful running filtered water for a DNA sample. Abby paused for a moment wondering if filtered water really was all that filtered.

Bringing herself back to the present she moved forward and picked up the thicker blanket that had fallen to the floor and tucked him in. She risked the gentlest of kisses to his forehead and crept back out to her car and headed home.

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><p>Gibbs was a royal pain the next day, but Abby had a plan and no amount of scowls or Gibbs-style glares we going to delay her plans. She caught him mid-yawn at his desk, just after 8pm. The rest of the team had left an hour ago, but Gibbs seemed to be in no hurry to get home. She approached his desk slowly, her head bent and her shoulders drooped.<p>

There was one thing that always caught his attention, she knew, and that was if she was feeling scared or sad or in any way miserable.

"Abbs?"

She looked up with a forced smile. "Uh, Gibbs? Can I ask a favor?"

His features softened and despite having been frustrated with the delay in results earlier, all was forgotten and his only concern was her well-being. "Of course."

She hated to lie to him, she really did, but she figured she had a few rules going for her, so with steel resolve she spoke up. "There's this guy, and I'm… well… worried and-"

Gibbs pulled out a piece of paper and clicked his pen. "Name," he growled.

"No no no, not like that," Abby gently pulled the pen from his hand and set it back on the desk. "He's just… he's had a really hard time and I'm trying to be helpful, but… I haven't been able to sleep because I've been worried and I just… will you come over tonight?"

Gibbs was able to refuse, demand the name and do a little background search, but when he looked at her she nibbled her lower lip and twisted her fingers together and he couldn't help but agree. "I'll swing by and pick up Chinese on my way." He clicked off the light on his desk and gathered his things. "You okay to drive home yourself?"

"Yeah, totally. I just need to go shut down everything in my lab. If you beat me home, you have my key, right?"

Gibbs pulled out his keys and lifted the key with the vampire engraved on it. "Yup."

"Okay, see you in a bit." Abby turned and hurried back to the elevator, quite pleased with herself. She beat him to her apartment by only a few minutes and by the time she had gathered everything from her car and locked it up, she saw him pull into the parking lot and park in the visitors spot outside her unit. She led the way up to her place and let him in, taking the food from him while he stashed his go-bag in the corner of her living room. She carried the cartons to the sofa and plopped down, nudging a fluffy pillow out of the way for Gibbs to sit.

"So tell me about this guy you're worried about." Gibbs used his chopsticks to bring a piece of cashew chicken to his mouth.

"I can't."

"You can't?"

Abby shook her head ruefully. "Nope. It's kind of like doctor-patient confidentiality."

"You're not a doctor."

"I could be."

Gibbs eyed her for a moment and then went back to his chicken. "You're not in danger? Not even a little? He's not going to go off the deep end and come after you?"

"I promise, you'll be the first to know if I think he's dangerous. I just hate when friends are having a hard time and I can't do anything."

Gibbs wrapped an arm around her and stole a piece of orange chicken from her carton. "I'm sure you do plenty. I'm sure your friend knows how much you care."

"Hope so."

With that out of the way, Abby was able to relax and enjoy the time she spent with Gibbs. After dinner they talked about their latest case, about Tony's dad visiting and about Jack. Abby loved to hear how Jack was doing, and although she talked to him regularly, Gibbs didn't know, so hearing from him that Jack was happy was nice.

Gibbs was the first to yawn, their long busy day taking a toll.

"I'm not really ready to sleep yet, you take my bed, I'll crash out here when I'm ready."

"Abbs… you need sleep."

"But we're not working tomorrow. I can sleep in. Really, it's okay." Abby blinked up at him innocently and she watched his resolve crumble.

"Fine." He got up and grabbed his bag, wishing her a goodnight before disappearing down the hall.

Abby found a movie on the Sci-Fi channel and by the time it was over, she was fighting to stay away. She tip-toed down the hall to brush her teeth and was surprised to see the bedroom light still on. Suddenly feeling more awake she continue down the hall to see why he was still awake. "Gibbs?" She leaned against the door frame, watching him flip the page in his book.

Gibbs pulled the glasses from his face and looked up "Yeah? You okay?"

"How come you'll sleep in my bed, but not your own?"

"What?"

"I overheard Senior telling Tony you said you always sleep on the couch. I came over yesterday because I didn't think it was true, but then you were asleep on the couch and… Gibbs you'll kill your back sleeping like that."

"I told him I slept on the couch so that he'd take the bed. Easier for me to hear him if I'm downstairs, and yesterday… I must have fallen asleep," he shrugged.

"Bullshit, Gibbs. Why would you have a pillow and blankets if you just fell asleep?"

"Abby…?" Gibbs set his book aside. "Am I the friend you're so concerned about?"

Abby frowned and worried her lower lip. She nodded to the thick book in his hand. "Were you even going to sleep here? Why won't you sleep in a bed?"

Gibbs sighed and looked at her, his face unreadable. "Space."

"Space?"

"Too much space," he shrugged. "Feel like I'm always reaching for something, someone, that isn't there if I'm sleeping alone. Not a good feeling. Easier to just rack on the couch."

"But you're hurting your back," Abby flipped off the overhead light and headed for the bed, pulling back the covers and slipping her legs between the sheets. "Stay the weekend, get some real rest." She hesitated a moment as she got comfortable, and then looked at him again, "You can reach for me," she reached out and wrapped her hand around his and then closed her eyes.

She forced herself to keep her eyes closed and listen. It was several long moments before he reached over to click off the bedside lamp, but to his credit, he never let go of her hand. He lay beside her for what felt like hours before rolling over toward her and pushing her to her side so he could spoon up behind her and hold her close. She moved willingly and suppressed a shiver when he placed a tender kiss to the back of her neck. Within minutes his body relaxed and he was asleep. It took Abby a while longer to fall asleep, but eventually, the warmth of his body and the sound of his slow and steady breathing lulled her to sleep.

It was almost noon before she woke the next day, the smell of coffee and breakfast making its way down the hall and into her bedroom. She rubbed her eyes as she headed to the kitchen. Gibbs was at her kitchen table reading the newspaper and glanced up with an amused smile. "Thought I was gonna have to scrap breakfast and make you lunch instead," he nodded over his shoulder, "plate is keeping warm in the oven."

"Thanks." She went to grab the plate and carried it back to the table to sit across from him. "You sleep okay?" She caught his guarded expression as he nodded but said nothing; instead she put a bite of pancake in her mouth and chewed. "Mmm, this is good. You should make me breakfast more often." She snagged a section of the paper and skimmed over the front page, pretending not to notice he was still watching her. "Ha, did you read this…?" She lowered the paper and pointed to an article with a photo attached. "Some tourists drove right into the lake because that's what the GPS said… Okay, I mean, I have big faith in technology, but this…?" She laughed. "Even I wouldn't trust it _that_ much." She saw a visible shift in Gibbs' demeanor as he smiled and nodded and she let go of the tension she had been holding.

"S'why I use a regular paper map."

"Yeah, but that's you. And plus, you're always calling me for GPS coordinates."

Gibbs ignored her and kept reading the paper.

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><p>She had no idea how long he planned to stay, but she had meant it when she invited him to stay the weekend and get some real rest, and judging by the look on his face, he had slept well. She couldn't put her day on hold – she didn't have big plans, but needed to run to the farmers market and get some laundry done, but she didn't want him to think that she was trying to get rid of him.<p>

"I uh… I need to go to the farmers market today. Do you want… would you want to come with me?"

Gibbs looked up and thought for a moment. "Can't think of the last time I've been to the farmers market."

"Then it's time you go. I just want to grab a quick shower and then I'm ready."

Gibbs nodded. "I need one too. I'll head home and then come back and pick you up. That work?"

She resisted the offer to share her shower – she was the one with the crush, not him – and nodded. "Perfect."

He set the paper down and started to tidy up, but she pushed him away. "I'll take care of this, you go. I'll be ready by the time you're back." It didn't take long to tidy up the kitchen (he had done most of it as he'd worked) and then she jumped in the shower, forcing herself to keep her hands away from her body unless it was to actually wash. Curled up with Gibbs had been such a temptation for her that she wasn't sure how she'd managed to sleep at all. But she had decided that she wasn't going to let her feelings for Gibbs cloud her judgment. And what he needed wasn't her humping his leg as he slept. He needed rest and several good hours of sleep before the weekend was over. She just hoped he would stay the rest of the weekend.

She was ready to go and just putting a load of laundry into the wash when Gibbs knocked. "You know, you can just come in. You have a key and it's not like I don't just walk right in to your house."

He shrugged. "Wasn't sure…"

"Well, now you are." She collected an armful of reusable grocery totes and together they headed out to Gibbs' truck.

It was only a ten minute drive and once they were there, the smell of fresh cut flowers, fruits, and veggies combined with various snack vendors was intense. They circled around and Abby picked up her favorites for the week and then Gibbs suggested some extra tomatoes for a tomato mozzarella salad to have with dinner. "Sounds good!" She tried to sound casual, but inside she was jumping for joy at the thought that they would share dinner again. They were walking back to his truck, produce in hand, after a crepe at one of the carts when Gibbs hesitated and dug out his wallet. Abby watched curiously as he picked out a bouquet of flowers. "We stopping by the diner, those for Elaine?" she teased.

"Nope," he tugged a flower out of the mix and tucked it behind her ear. "Thought they'd look nice on your kitchen table." He was halfway to his truck before Abby managed to pick her jaw up off the ground and follow. A dazed _thank you_ on her lips.

"Was thinking about what else to have for dinner," Gibbs said as she climbed into his truck. "Steak?"

"I don't have a fireplace," she quipped.

Gibbs rolled his eyes. The only reason he'd started doing that was so that he didn't have to clean the grill. Now whenever one of his team was over, they always requested steaks over the fireplace for dinner. "You've got a grill out on your patio."

"I know, just giving you a hard time about your caveman cooking. Steak is fine."

They stopped at the grocery store for steaks and while Gibbs went to find the meat, Abby waited in line for a Caf-Pow! and a cup of coffee. He'd probably had coffee at home, but they had been at the market for a good two hours, so she figured he was in need again. "Here you go," she handed him a cup as they met up at the cashier, her smile growing wide when his eyes lit up at the sight of a coffee cup. Abby heard someone mention something about what a sweet daughter to bring her father a cup of coffee, but when Gibbs didn't show any sign that he'd heard it, she decided to ignore it.

"Abbs?" They were finally headed back to her place, and Abby just couldn't shake the comment from her head. Gibbs hadn't heard it, so there was no point in bringing it up, but that woman's voice echoed in her head, the comment track on repeat through her mind.

"Hmm?"

"You seem quiet, everything okay?"

"Hmm? Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Was just trying to remember… when I was last CPR certified." It was lame and she knew it.

"We all were about two months ago, why?"

"Oh, right… You know how you're thinking about one thing and then another and another and suddenly you don't remember how you got from point A to point B…" She brought her fingers up to steady the flower behind her ear and smiled. "The wheels are just turnin', that's all."

Gibbs reached out to touch her cheek. "Don't work your brain too hard, it's the weekend afterall."

"Of all the people at work to say that… go figure it'd be you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"When aren't _you_ thinking about work?" When he didn't say anything, she laughed. "Ah, so a 'do as I say, not as I do' sorta thing, huh?"

"No," he shook his head. "Haven't thought about work since yesterday afternoon."

"Oh, really?" She glanced over at him as he drove. "I thought you were always thinking about work."

Gibbs shook his head. "Don't think about work while readin' the sports page, and earlier was thinking about the last time I was at the farmers market. NCIS is a big part of my life, but it isn't everything."

"Oh." She felt a bit like an ass for suggesting it was.

"Tomorrow I'm helping Mrs Johnson three houses down. She needs a wall taken down between the dining room and living room, was thinkin' that you're the best electrician I know. Care to come help with moving the outlets?"

"I'd love to! I met her when she came to visit your dad when he was staying with you last summer. She's a sweet woman."

Gibbs nodded. "Good."

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><p>TBC…<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

I lied – there will be three chapters, not too.

All the lovely reviews and pm's have been wonderful and I really appreciate them – so thank you.

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><p>By the time they were back to her apartment, Abby had mostly forgotten about the daughter comments and was cheerful as she put the fresh produce away while Gibbs filled a vase with water for the flowers he had picked out. It wasn't quiet time to start on dinner, so Abby went to switch the laundry while Gibbs finished reading the paper from earlier. The washer and dryer were right off the kitchen so as she transferred the load from the washer to the dryer, she could watch Gibbs as well. He was focused on the article, the glasses sitting low on his nose, his hand wrapped around a coffee cup – one of her favorites. Her eyes traced over his long, strong fingers, and up his arm to his shoulder and the broad expanse of his back. She loved the area of his neck that was visible, just above the collar of his polo. More than once she'd been able to press her face to his skin there and inhale deeply, taking comfort from whatever he was consoling her about. Her eyes traced up the shell of his ear and then to the side of his face. She loved the little wrinkles beside his eyes. She could see the corner of his mouth, and had to drag her eyes back to the task at hand before she got too carried away.<p>

She found herself wondering if he realized how much spending this time outside of work with him was so special to her. She was being honest when she said she wanted him to be able to rest all weekend and get some real sleep, but at the same time, she never felt safer than when Gibbs was around. Even if they weren't in the same room, knowing all she had to do was call out to him made her feel more secure than ever. And sleeping with him curled around her had brought her to a whole new level of security she had never known existed. "Gibbs?" she called out. If she brought attention to herself, she couldn't lose track of time and continue to stare at him.

"Hmm?"

"Want to watch a movie with me after dinner?"

"Maybe."

"Okay." She picked up the clean towels that had been in the dryer and carried them toward the linen closet down the hall by her bedroom. If she was lucky, she could curl up against him.

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><p>Whenever Gibbs said <em>maybe<em> to her when she asked him to do something, it almost always meant yes. After dinner he had agreed to a movie and let her pick – it was an action flick laced with comedy, though the delivery was terrible and half the time they were laughing at the acting rather than the jokes. The movie slowed toward the end and as the credits rolled, Gibbs looked down to see Abby's eyes closed, he head resting on a pillow over his lap. He flipped to the news for a few minutes and then switched the TV off. He managed to slide out from under her and carried their coffee cups to the kitchen. He headed back to where she was sleeping and debated on if he should carry her to bed or not. Eventually, he decided that she needed a comfy bed as much as he did, so he slipped an arm under her shoulders and one under her knees and lifted her. "Bed time, Abbs."

"Mmm, okay." She wrapped her arms around his neck and was back asleep in moments.

He carried her to her bedroom and placed her carefully on the bed. He was glad she'd changed into sweats before the movie, so he figured that she might be a little warm, but that they were okay to sleep in. He pulled back the blankets and helped her to get settled before switching off the lights and going to the bathroom.

"Gibbs?"

He peeked in from the bathroom. "Yeah?"

"Don't leave," she murmured.

"I'm not, just brushing my teeth."

She was asleep again before he was back.

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><p>Having fallen sleep early on the sofa, Abby found herself lucky to wake up before Gibbs. His arms were wrapped around her, and his chest was flush with her back. His nose was pressed into her hair and his slow and steady breaths warmed the back of her neck.<p>

She tried to turn in his arms, but he tightened his hold and she had to fight a giggle to keep from waking him up. It was still dark as she worked herself free so she could go to the bathroom. As soon as she was out of bed, Gibbs whimpered in his sleep and reached for where she had been, tugging her pillow to his chest. She smiled down at him and then headed to the bathroom. She was washing her hands when she heard him call out. Concerned, she headed back to the bedroom to see him lying there – his body was tense and her forehead covered in a light sheen of sweat. What had been a soft whimper had turned to what seemed to be a nightmare. Cautiously she climbed back into bed and scooted closer. The minute her body made contact with his, he wrapped his arms around her and held her tight, a sigh of relief escaping him. "Gibbs?"

He tensed and then his eyes fluttered open.

"You okay…? You were sleeping and then I got up to go to the bathroom and you… it seemed like you were having a nightmare by the time I got back."

He hugged her in closer and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I'm okay."

"Okay," she whispered. "Go back to sleep."

"S'okay, I'm awake now."

"I'm not," she lied. "It's still early. Stay…" She snugged in against his chest and hoped he would stay and fall back asleep. She decided she would lay there with him as long as needed if it meant he would get more sleep. She didn't think she would fall back asleep, but when she opened her eyes again, the room was bright and she was laying half over Gibbs' chest. He was clearly awake, his fingers pulling gently through her hair. She had never felt so relaxed in her life. "I could wake up like this every morning." The minute the words were out, Abby realized she'd said it rather than think it like she had intended.

Gibbs chuckled at the gasp she let out.

"Sorry, I…" She tried to pull away, embarrassed.

"Nothing to be sorry about. I'm pretty comfortable too."

"What time is it?"

"Almost 11."

Abby sat up quickly to check that he was right. "But I fell asleep before 10, how did I sleep that much?"

"I'm not the only one who hasn't gotten enough sleep. But we should get going if we're going to do that wall." When Abby sat up, he sat as well and swung his legs over the edge of the bed.

Waking up after Gibbs the day before, she had missed the sight of his broad shoulders without a shirt. She swallowed a soft whimper and forced herself to get up and get dressed. If they were going to be around saw dust, she wasn't going to bother with a shower until afterward.

They made a quick lunch of their leftovers and started getting ready to leave. "Grab a clean outfit. You can change afterward and I'll take you to dinner – as a thank you for your help."

"Oh, you don't have to do that…"

"I know."

His look told her it wasn't up for discussion so she grabbed a change of clothes and shoved them in a grocery bag. She didn't want him to feel obligated, but at the same time, it certainly wasn't a hardship to spend so much extra time with him. He drove them both to his house first, and then, after gathering the tools they would need, they headed three houses down the street to Emma Johnson's house. As soon as the older woman saw Abby she pulled her inside and sat her on the couch so they could chat while Gibbs worked. Abby tried to get up to help, but until Gibbs came and said that he needed her help with moving the electrical outlet, Emma kept her busy chatting about church, the nuns, Jack and work at NCIS.

"Thanks," Abby whispered. "She's been feeding me cookies for the last two hours – we might need to push dinner to another night, I'm so full."

"Cookies, huh? Maybe I should see if she wants to feed me too."

"They are pretty good, though I can already feel the first few going straight to my left ass-cheek."

"I think you'll be alright."

Abby laughed. "What, you checking out my ass?" She sure hoped so.

"I'm only a guy, Abbs."

It took them another hour to finish the basics. Emma's son was flying in a few days later and would be doing the floor and helping to paint over the new drywall that Gibbs had replaced. They headed back to his house and he headed for the shower right away, having done much of the heavy work. When he was done he suggested ordering in instead of going out. Both had been munching on cookies all afternoon and while they weren't hungry, they needed something besides sugar in their system. He ordered them a pizza while she took a quick spin in the shower, taking a few extra minutes to luxuriate in the smell of his soap.

Despite spending the entire weekend together, they never ran out of things to talk about, and their time together wasn't forced. It was getting late and since Gibbs had driven them both to his house, he would need to drive her home, otherwise she was spending the night. It was close to midnight when she muffled a yawn in the middle of their conversation about the US justice system. She rested her head back against the couch. "Can I stay here tonight..?"

He hesitated a moment and then nodded to the stairs. "Go on up."

She was at the base of the stairs when she realized he wasn't following her. "You coming?"

Gibbs shook his head. "I'll rack here."

She frowned but headed upstairs and rummaged through his drawer of shirts until she found one long enough. She found a spare toothbrush in the bathroom and then when she was all ready for bed, she headed back down the stairs to find Gibbs stretched out on the couch with a blanket and pillow. Rather than ask why he wouldn't sleep upstairs, she ignored his watchful gaze as she pulled back the blanket and situated herself on the couch with him, just barely hanging on to the edge. It wouldn't take much for her to fall to the floor.

"Abbs…"

"Don't let me fall on the floor."

"What are you doing?"

She ignored him and answered with her own question. "Why won't you come up to bed?" For a moment she felt like she sounded like a nagging wife – not quite the image she wanted to send.

"Why didn't you correct that woman at the grocery store yesterday? About being my daughter."

They were both good at deflecting questions they didn't want to answer, but this one caught her by surprise. "I didn't think you'd heard it, didn't want to bring attention to it."

"That why you were so quiet yesterday?"

"Doesn't matter what that lady though, you're not my father. Why won't you come to bed?" She wasn't going to let it drop.

Gibbs' arms tightened around her and he pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Can't take you to my bed for one night only," he confessed. The two previous nights he'd been able to tell himself that he was there to protect her, but to have her in his own bed was entirely different.

"What?" She started to prop herself up, but her hips slipped and she found herself scrambling to keep from falling to the floor. It took a good 30 seconds before she was settled and cautiously looked back at him, ignoring the fact that he was trying not to laugh at her. "What did you mean by that?"

His smile faded and he tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "If I bring you into my bed, I'm going to want more. This weekend… it's been good Abbs, but I have to draw the line before I want more than I can have."

"What makes you think you can't have… what you want."

"Because I want _you_, Abbs. And no one catches your eye for long, you've said so yourself."

Abby almost choked on her laughter. "That is almost true. I haven't been able to stay with anyone because they haven't been _you_." She worked free of his grasp, got to her feet and held her hand out to him. "Come to bed with me."

He hesitated, staring up at her for several long moments before taking her hand and letting her tug him to his feet. She walked slowly toward his bedroom, her heart pounding in her chest as he followed closely behind. Even if all they did was sleep, things were changing big time for them if they shared his bed. He had said he couldn't just have her in his bed once and she believed it.

"You're hesitating," he whispered into her ear when she stopped outside his bedroom.

"I'm giving you the chance to back out."

"I'm sure of what I want; just need you to be sure." He only _just _resisted nuzzling her neck, not wanting her to get caught up in the physical contact.

Abby leaned back against his chest, and pulled his arms tightly around her, lacing her fingers with his. "It's been hard to sleep next to you and not even get to kiss you, but I held back because you needed the rest. Don't take the fact that I kept my hands to myself to mean that I'm not interested." She tilted her head up to look at him and smiled when he nuzzled against her cheek. "Come on," she moved into his room, flipping off the lights as she went by.

Gibbs stopped her before she could get into the bed, and cupped her face in his hands. He leaned in and kissed her softly before circling around to the other side. They met in the middle and Abby snuggled happily into his arms.

"Was dreaming that I lost you."

"Hmm?" She pulled back to look at him through the dark.

"This morning, when you woke me up, I had been dreaming that I lost you," he confessed.

"How? How did you lose me?"

Gibbs shook his head and pulled her in close again. "Doesn't matter." If he didn't say it, it wouldn't come true. Abby started to push away again, despite Gibbs not wanting to let go. "Abbs…"

"I just want to kiss you, but I can't when you've got me tucked under your chin." She smiled when he finally relaxed his grip so she could resituate herself, sharing his pillow and then leaned in to kiss him softly. He kissed her back and groaned when her tongue tapped against his lower lip.

Abby pulled away with a giggle as she pushed her hands up under the back of his shirt to fan out across his back. "That sounded kinda needy, Gibbs."

"Abbs," despite the growl he smiled at her and them propped himself up on his elbow, his hand supporting his head. "I do need you, always have."

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><p>TBC<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

Fake out… ;)

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><p>Despite the change in their relationship, Gibbs didn't push for more than a few kisses before they fell asleep curled up together. It had been late by the time they made it upstairs, and combined with the huge shift from being friends to now lovers, it was a lot to process. But falling asleep with his warm hands under her shirt, holding her close was enough… for now.<p>

Gibbs' alarm clock came way too early for the both of them, and Abby grumbled the whole way to the shower while Gibbs grabbed her bag from her car, ignoring her invite to share. She knew why he didn't want to share – they needed time to explore. A quick fuck in the shower wasn't what either of them wanted for their first time, but at the same time, the idea of sharing a shower with him was mighty tempting.

He dropped her off at her place so she could change and drive herself in, and Abby couldn't help but feel a sense of loss at driving in alone after spending all weekend with the man. But as soon as they were back at NCIS everything clicked into place and it was as though nothing had changed. He brought her a Caf-Pow! and listened patiently as she rattled on about DNA and how the swirls in finger prints were so mesmerizing if you stared at them long enough. He kissed her cheek (albeit closer to her lips) and left the lab with a smile.

Then the flood gates broke and the team was swamped with case after case. Gibbs didn't make it out of the office Monday night, so Abby went back to her place, then Tuesday and Wednesday Abby spent the night on the futon in her lab waiting for something that would give them a lead. On Thursday Abby was excited to finally curl up beside Gibbs, even if it was just to sleep. But at ten pm she got a call from Gibbs that they had tracked their killer to Norfolk and by the time they got him squared away it would be too late to drive back. The team was staying at a hotel and would be back mid-morning the next day. Reluctantly Abby crawled into her own bed – surprised at how empty it felt without Gibbs.

Friday things seemed to slow down and she was caught off guard when a pair of strong arms wrapped around her middle. "Gibbs!"

"What?" He gave her a gentle squeeze and then let go, letting her turn to face him.

"You scared me!"

"Shouldn't have your music so loud, otherwise you would've heard me."

"Or you could just wear a bell."

Gibbs rolled his eyes, "dinner tonight? Stay at my place?"

"Can I take a rain check on the dinner part? I'm helping out for an event at church tonight, but I can come over afterward, if that's okay?"

Gibbs nodded. "Spend the weekend?"

Abby pretended to think about it. "I do have to wash my hair, but if you'd be interested in helping…"

He smiled and leaned in to kiss her, grinning at the look of shock on her face when he pulled away.

"Someone could've seen you do that, you know."

"Nah, Vance let us off early. The others were out the door within seconds."

Abby slid her hands up the front of his jacket and started to pull him in, "in that case, kiss me again."

He gave in and gave her one more, quick kiss, and then stepped away before he made a fool of himself. "What time you think you'll be over?"

Abby shrugged. "Might be late. Don't wait up though, and so help me God, if you're sleeping on the couch when I arrive…"

Gibbs turned on his heel. "See ya later, Abbs."

"I'm not kidding," she called after him. "No sleeping on the couch. Or else I'm going home!" She turned back to her computer with a smile.

* * *

><p>It was nearly midnight before she pulled up outside of Gibbs' house. She felt guilty about staying away so long, but time had gotten away from her and then she got caught up in helping to clean up. She had called Gibbs around nine and he hadn't seemed upset, said he was busy in the basement, but still… she felt bad.<p>

The basement lights were still on when she pulled up. She parked and hurried up the front step, letting herself in and locking the door behind her. She left her coat draped over the back of a chair and her overnight bag at the base of the stairs and then headed for the basement. Gibbs was leaning against the workbench, flipping through a case-file.

"Almost midnight," she said as she headed down the stairs. "Why you looking at work stuff?"

Gibbs shrugged and set it aside when she was within reach and tugged her into a hug, turning them so he could press her against the work bench, trapping her body with his. "Bored, waiting for you."

"Sorry, I wouldn't have agreed to help out if I had known I wouldn't have been able to see you outside of work all week."

"Mmm," Gibbs gave a little nod and then ducked his head to kiss her softly. "Come on, I'm tired. And you wouldn't let me nap on the couch."

Abby was about to protest when she caught the slight smirk on his face and she knew he was just trying to rile her up. "You might be tired, but I bet your back isn't protesting every little movement, is it?"

Abby cut in front of him to head up the stairs. She grabbed her bag and continued up to his room and changed into one of his old shirts and brushed her teeth while he double checked that the doors downstairs were locked and that the lights were all off. They passed in the hallway and Gibbs had a hard time pulling his eyes away from her creamy pale legs as he headed to the bathroom to get ready for bed.

Abby was already under the covers by the time he joined her, down to just his boxers. The main light was off and with a click the bedside lamp went dark and he was moving toward the center of the bed and Abby's warm body. He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her slowly, his tongue tracing her lower lip before he licked his way inside. He let his hands run down her sides, before moving up under her shirt along her back.

Gibbs pulled away from the kiss and rested his forehead against hers. "You're hesitating. You need more time?"

"You said you were tired… was that just a ploy to get me up into bed?" She didn't want to seem pushy for more if he really just wanted to sleep.

"It worked, didn't it?"

"_Mr Gibbs_, You're a sneaky bastard… _my_ sneaky bastard."

Gibbs rolled over her, pressing her into the mattress. "Jethro when we're in bed."

"I'll try, but that won't be an easy switch to flip, I've been calling out _Gibbs_ in my dreams for a long time."

He chuckled at that, and nodded. "Gibbs is fine, just not _Mr. Gibbs."_

It suddenly clicked for Abby and she laughed. "Oooh, bad memories of your last _girlfriend_?"

Gibbs lowered his head to nip at her neck, just above where it joined her shoulder. "Wasn't my girlfriend," he growled, torn between hoping he'd left a mark and not wanting to cause her even the slightest bit of pain. But judging by the way she tilted her head to give him more room, she wasn't too concerned.

Abby hooked her legs around him, crossing her ankles to keep him snug against her. The longer he pinned her to the bed, the harder he became from her constant wiggling below. She drew his face to hers for another kiss, her fingers running through his hair, her nails scratching lightly at the base of his skull. She pulled away from his lips to kiss the tip of his nose and then chin. She licked and nibbled out over his jaw until she reached his ear. Running her tongue up the shell of his ear, she felt a shiver run through his body and at the same time, his arms wrap tightly around her. He rolled onto his back, bringing her with so that she was straddling his hips.

She grinned down at him and spread her hands wide over his chest, taking her time to explore – making note of every little scar. She scraped her finger nails down his chest with just enough pressure to make him squirm, and then circled a finger around his nipples before lowering to cover first one and then the other with her mouth.

She could see his patience fading as he endured more and more of her slow exploration. She mouthed her way down his stomach and nipped at the skin over his ribs causing him to groan.

He reached down to tug her shirt off, batting her hands away when she went to stop him, saying that it was still her turn. But he didn't give up, wanting to see at least some of her skin while she explored. Eventually she gave in and tossed her shirt to the foot of the bed, but only let his hands rest on her hips while she continued to map out his chest and abs. She could tell that he was getting tired of being on the receiving end without being able to participate as his fingers dug into her hips. Every so often he'd let go and flex his hands before holding on to her again. She pressed kisses across his stomach, grinning when his muscles flexed under her gentle touch. As her kisses moved lower, he caught her face in his hands and sat up to meet her for a gentle kiss. "Not what I want right now." There would be time for that later on, but he was painfully hard and even the thought of her lips wrapped around him had him working hard not to come in his shorts. He pulled her back down so that her body was stretched over his, his knees bent and his feet flat on the bed to keep her nestled between his thighs.

He managed to reach her collarbone, kissing and licking his way across. He had one arm wrapped around her, holding her close and the other hand was attached to one of her breasts, kneading the supple flesh and teasing her nipple to a point. She moaned against his ear and hugged herself closer, her hips pressing against his hardness before slipping a hand down between them to stroke him through the fabric.

"Want you, Gibbs… want you more than I've wanted anything, _ever_." She pressed her face to his neck and inhaled deeply, the scent of saw dust, old spice and coffee washing over her.

"All yours Abbs, have been for a while." He ran a hand down her back, his hand slipping under her underwear, pulling her even closer.

She ground her hips down against his evident arousal and then moved off of him to wriggle free of her underwear. Gibbs did the same and rolled onto his side, leaning over her to kiss her, his hand trailing over her stomach. He grinned as he nuzzled her cheek and her stomach muscles rippled under his fingers. Slowly trailing his fingers lower and lower, he drew out a long moan from her as his fingers reached their destination, slipping first one then two fingers into her. He pressed his lips to her shoulder and groaned at how hot and wet she was. He sought out her clit, teasing her until she cried out and her hands twisted sharply in the sheets.

"Need you, _now…_" She wrapped her arms around him and tried to pull him over her.

Gibbs moved over her, supporting himself with his forearms on either side of her head. He lowered his head for kiss as she guided him inside. With her ankles locked around him, she arched up against him and cried out as he settled on top of her. They moved slowly at first, and Gibbs nipped at her lower lip making her gasp.

"Abbs," he groaned, "you're perfect."

Her fingers dug into his shoulders before she pushed one hand up into his hair, her nails raking against his scalp, "_Jethro_…"

Hearing his name like that, so full of need, lust and if he dare let himself think it – love – was almost more than he could handle. He nuzzled against her neck again, grunting each time he thrust into her, his mouth slack as he breathed hotly against her skin. "Almost there…"

Abby managed to push him over to straddle him, bracing herself on his chest. His fingers zeroed in on her clit as she moved. As soon as she tensed and tossed her head back to surrendered to her release, Gibbs pushed his hands up over her breasts and out to her shoulders, holding her in place as he thrust up into her until he was groaning through his release.

Abby lowered herself over him and peppered his chest and collarbone with kisses until he tipped her chin up to meet her lips in a kiss.

"I love you, Abby. Don't ever think otherwise."

"I love you more," she wrapped herself around him and continued to press soft kisses to his skin while he reached down to pull the blankets up and over them.

"Don't have any plans this weekend, do you?"

"Mmm, lots. And they all involve you and a repeat performance."

Gibbs chuckled and wrapped himself around her, pulling her in close. It had been years since he had spent a full night in his own bed, and with the right woman wrapped in his arms, he wasn't concerned about lying awake all night. His last thought before he drifted off to sleep was that sleeping on the couch was a thing of the past.

* * *

><p>Abby woke to the feel of fingers brushing back and forth across her stomach. She turned in his arms and brought her fingers to his face. "How'd you sleep?"<p>

"Didn't sleep a wink," he teased. "I missed the couch too much."

"I certainly think we can work in some quality time on the couch this weekend. On the couch, over the back of the couch…"

Gibbs grinned and rolled over her, pressing her back into the bed. "Might not make it to the couch… I'm sure I'll survive."

* * *

><p>The End.<p>

Thank you *so* much for reading - the reviews and private messages have been wonderful.


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